Madonna shrugs off controversy on new album

TOKYO—U.S. pop star Madonna on Wednesday shrugged off criticism of a song on her smash hit new album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” saying that all she did was ask questions and challenge authority. The new album, which hit the top of the U.S. and British album charts following its release last month, includes a song which prompted rabbis in Israel to accuse her of sacrilege.
Madonna, 47, who has frequently courted censure with her racy lyrics and on-stage antics, said it didn’t take much to be considered controversial. “I think as soon as you have an opinion that is outside... what is considered to be the conventional way of thinking — as soon as you think outside of that you’re considered controversial,” she told a news conference in Tokyo, where she is promoting the new album.
“I think that I like to ask questions, I like to challenge authority, and a lot of people perceive that as controversial.” In October, the rabbis who guard the legacy of Rabbi Isaac Luria — founder of the Kabbalah school of mysticism which counts Madonna as one of its devotees — accused Madonna of breaking a taboo by using his name for profit in the song “Isaac.” Dressed in a body-hugging maroon top with red sequins on the sleeves and matching pants, Madonna said she was glad to be back in Japan, a place that has had a significant influence on her life and her work, particularly in this current album.